Birds of Prey: A Lesson in Falconry

Master falconer Jonathan Shaw joined Mr. Campbell’s Medieval Literature class and other guests for a lesson on falconry in April. Mr. Shaw brought two birds with him—an Artic Gyr named “Gyronimo” (white) and a Harris’s Hawk named “BB8” (brown)—whom students were able to hold, as he lectured on falconry and its significance to daily existence in the Middle Ages.

Mr. Shaw delved into role birds of prey played in social constructs during Medieval times, technical aspects of training and hunting with birds, and the commonly used terms that derived from falconry and hawking, such as “another feather in one’s cap” and “hoodwinked.”